Facts about what's happening to Jews around the world as well as in Portland with my opinions.

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Tuesday, November 16, 2010

The Honey Trap: Vote on Sunday

I'm going to take the premise that I have always had and see that a speaker at MJCC on Monday, Mr. Halevy, also shares this with me. It's that the problem between the Palestinians and Israelis stem from 1948 with the creation of Israel, not the war of 1967. The Arabs were not willing to accept a Jewish state in the neighborhood and I feel that the world has not helped to change their minds. In fact, like an alcoholic, the world has remained enabling the Arabs in their hatred of Israel; thus, empowering them in their unwillingness to come to terms with peace.

The Oregonian today has an article titled: Israeli defense officials back U.S. settlement freeze deal. The United States has offered Israel a deal to again, after a 10 month freeze where Israel did not allow building to occur in Judea and Samaria that didn't lure the Arabs to the peace table, to do it again and not build there for another three months to give the Palestinians another go at coming to a peace table.

The deal is much better than the first offer as far as that goes which three former army defense officials want to take. Israel had ordered 20 F-35 stealth fighter jets which they would buy. The deal is to give them as a gift to Israel. These jets are capable of traveling long distances and not be detected by radar. This makes them an important asset in Israel's defense system. Right now the main concern of Israel is the threat of nuclear bombing from Iran, so this would be a most welcome asset for Israel to have.

Besides that, the US would support Israel in the United Nations and would block recognition of Palestinians to declare independence. They want Jerusalem, or part of it, as their capital, plus a return of all Palestinians as they count them, and they are saying that they intend to go the UN and declare themselves a state without having signed any peace agreement with Israel.

Palestinians have not been appraised of the deal as yet. What they have wanted is a "real change in Israeli settlement policy, not a quick fix", said an official in Ramallah, though the Palestinian government hasn't considered the proposal as yet. Palestinians have turned down peace proposals and the chance to have their own state since 1948, always holding out for more, like having Israelis leave. Giving Palestinians land has not changed their attitude, so this has been a tried and true experiment that has not given positive results.

This is why the Israeli cabinet is not whole-heartedly enthused with the deal like their defense officials. Netanyahu will take the offer to them for approval, and it may pass with a majority of one vote, as far as it looks at this moment. Moshe Yaalon, Vice Prime Minister, already rejected the deal as a "honey trap." Other said they would work on dismantling the government if the proposal was approved. I'm sure they feel "been there-done that" and do not want to deny their citizens anymore. The Palestinians have been setting preconditions that have been unreasonable, so meetings have not resulted. For one thing, their idea of an Israeli change of policy is for Israel to move out of Judea and Samaria, lock, stock and barrel. They expect it to be rid of Jews and to have their population 100% Muslim. This, a possible future neighbor tells us, while our population contains over 1 million Palestinians is a hard pill to swallow.

Sunday, the cabinet will vote. I'm going to say that Netanyahu has counted the votes in his head and it will pass by one. The aftermath will be pressuring him to leave the government. Building will be stopped for three months. At the end Israel will be in the same place as now. The Palestinians will not come to the table to talk about peace. They never have made any concessions. It's always Israel that is pressured to do so, as the situation is right now. In the meantime, Jews living in Judea and Samaria will be hung up with their plans of adding on a merepeset (porch) or whatever builders are trying to do.

I'm going to say that the trade of waiting for three months to build is worth the gift of the 20 jet fighters. The thing I worry about the most is Iran and their continued threats of killing Israelis. Go for it, Israel, and then forget doing it again. This is the last opportunity for Palestinians to sit down and get real and talk about peace and the future. Let the world see how far we bend in the name of peace, even though they have had innumerable times in the past to see it. Then, we say, "Dayenu." Enough already. It's past time for Europe and others to pressure the Palestinians to stop being so anti-Israel and to be thankful they're getting a chance to have their own state. Otherwise, they should move on and live in one of the 47 Muslim majority countries in the world. How about Saudi Arabia?

I do feel guiltythough, of saying one more chance. As a mother and a teacher, we are told to set limits and to stick to what we say, not cave in and keep allowing bad behavior to happen without appropriate outcomes. A child doesn't believe his parents when he keeps getting around the punishment for having broken the rules. Adults aren't that much different. Has the US the where-with-all to convince the Palestinians to take this last time opportunity and make the right choices in this three month term?

Which reminds me; why didn't Hillary wait till the Palestinians come to the peace table and come to logical conclusions good for all and then reward them with the millions of dollars for the future Palestine? She gave them this money without having any way of checking on how it will be spent. It could very well go to arms against Israel. It could fall into Hamas's hands. It could go into Abbas's bank account. Didn't that happen with Arafat's money?

About Me

I'm the American Nadene Goldfoot. Another lives in England. I'm the one who went to Israel and lived there from 1980 to the end of 1985. I'm an amateur genealogist for our family who also has expanded interests into dna. I now spend my time writing in my 3 blogs teaching about Israel and defending her position.

On my tree I have found Rabbi Samson Wertheimer, RASHI, and King David through DNA testing. Another branch holds the kings and queens of England by genealogy. When current events become deplorable, I turn to this hobby for a lift. It's all whetted my appetite for ancient history of Israel.